Welcome to The Regulars, where we explore what it means to be a frequent restaurant patron. In this series, we’ll introduce you to everyday Atlantans and local characters who have found a sense of belonging and community at restaurants and bars around town and what keeps these regulars coming back week after week.
North Decatur resident Toni Williams has been a regular at NFA “Not Fooling Around” Burger since chef and owner Billy Kramer launched his first pop-up in 2018.
Williams, a food and lifestyle content creator who goes by the moniker Blasian Bon Vivant online, heard about Kramer’s now cult-favorite burger from friends who were fans. After listening to them talk about how amazing Kramer’s burger was, she knew she had to try it for herself.
That burger is now the Billy’s Classic: two smash-style patties topped with American cheese, French mustard, pickles, and signature “sassy sauce” served on a Martin’s potato roll.
“It was cheesy love at first bite and so good I knew I would continue following this man wherever he made that burger,” she said.
And she’s done just that, frequenting Kramer’s pop-ups at local restaurants like Big Sky in Buckhead before becoming a regular at NFA’s permanent location inside a Chevron gas station in Dunwoody when it opened there in 2019.
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Williams doesn’t have family in Atlanta and built a community around her love for restaurants and dining out. She and groups of friends and like-minded diners plan outings around specific restaurants, including NFA Burger, to continue supporting establishments they enjoy and owners like Kramer.
Her go-to order at NFA Burger is the Billy’s Classic with a side of sassy tots.
“Honestly, you can’t go to a fast food restaurant these days and get their signature burger for the price Billy sells his for,” she said of NFA’s $8 double-stack. “And the quality is so much better because he’s making it on the spot with fresh ingredients.”
Kramer created his award-winning burger after taste-tasting hundreds of burgers while traveling around the country. “Very few restaurants can consistently cook burgers to temperature,” he explained of why he decided to make smash burgers. “They only come one way, and if executed properly, can be done consistently at scale.”
He said the modest Chevron station just three miles from his home has been the perfect space for scaling that acclaimed burger—named Georgia’s best by Food & Wine in 2021. He serves it alongside a concise menu of hot dogs, grilled cheeses, Belgian waffles, and sides like crinkle fries and homemade Schmoops or cinnamon sugar twists.
While Williams lives about 15 miles from NFA Burger and travels frequently for her tech job as a business development manager, she stops by the Dunwoody restaurant as often as she can.
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“If I get a craving, I plan my whole day around it and go when there’s not a lot of traffic,” she said. If she has time, she’ll place her order and then eat it at one of the picnic tables behind the restaurant.
Kramer said word-of-mouth referrals from customers like Williams are “everything” to his small business, which will expand with new menu items like a chicken sandwich and a dedicated soda machine later this year.
“Whether it’s via social media, casual conversations or simply bringing friends on your next visit, it all helps,” he said. “When a customer asks me which platform I prefer them to leave a review on, I respond with, ‘I’d rather you bring a new person on your next visit.’”
At a time when many food influencers and dining regulars gatekeep their favorite local spots, Williams said it’s more important than ever for her to be vocal about places like NFA Burger.
“One of the reasons I started covering food in Atlanta is because I want to support businesses and see them succeed,” she explained. “I continue to visit NFA not just for the quality of the food, but for Billy himself because he’s such a supporter of other Atlanta restaurants and gives back when he can.”
Her loyalty means everything to Kramer, too, noting that without customers like Williams, NFA Burger might not be where it is today.
Inside the Chevron at 5465 Chamblee Dunwoody Road, Dunwoody. Open Tuesday and Wednesday, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.; Thursday – Saturday, 11 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
